Whether you're a plus-size traveler yourself, a travel company, or someone looking to help create a more inclusive travel space, here are some ideas on how to advocate for the plus-size community.
Spend some time traveling and you will likely end up meeting a lot of people from different backgrounds, from different races and religions, with a variety of characteristics that make their perspective unique.
However, while the cuisine of a busy hostel can appear as diverse as the United Nations, this is not always reflected in the travel industry. Especially for plus-size travelers. This marginalized group is highly underrepresented but still worth feeling confident and comfortable while traveling.
Whether you're a plus-size traveler on your own or simply looking to help create a more inclusive travel space, these suggestions will provide insight into how you can advocate for the plus-size community.
I'm Chantel Laura, the laugh-out-loud creator and snack-lover behind the plus-size travel blog, Vagabond trip. I have been sharing my experiences since 2015 and have worked alongside some of the best travel brands, providing diversity and inclusion consulting to make the industry inclusive of all sizes.
Support for high-volume travel designers
There has been a welcome wave of plus-size travel innovators who have taken the travel industry by storm! Their efforts are driven by the need for inclusion and they are fierce advocates of community. They share impressive, informative, and thoughtful travel itineraries along with some much-needed acting.
By providing the power to connect to those who may have thought travel wasn't their place, these vibrant plus-size creators inspire those who often feel blocked out to start their own travel journey and make a real, positive impact.
How can you support them? Share their content, welcome their perspectives, learn from them, work with them and be their allies. If you want to start filling your feed with some plus-size travel fun, start following some of my personal favorites:
Make marketing more comprehensive
This is perhaps the easiest and most effective way to ensure plus-size people are represented in the travel world. There has to be a shift away from the old paradigm of the standard straight-size traveler. This concept is beyond scale. Diversity is what really enriches the travel experience, and we should celebrate that in all our marketing.
It is up to brands, tourism boards, organisations, conferences and media prioritizing inclusion; Not just in order to meet industry standards, but out of passion with a desire to be inclusive so that all kinds of people can experience the joys of travel.
These days, marketing materials can travel all over the world in the blink of an eye. This type of representation can have an enormous - and positive - impact on plus-size people everywhere.
Let's travel comfortably
Flying can be a struggle for plus-size travelers and it's a concern I see often expressed. Airplane seats seem to be getting smaller and smaller every year, and are sorely lacking in comfort. Airlines like Southwest scaled up to accommodate travelers of all sizes, and last month Federal Aviation Administration Request feedback about seat size on airplanes.
So far 20,000 responses have been posted on the FAA's agenda, most urging the FAA to ask airlines to make economy seats more spacious. Hopefully this cry will leave the FAA interested in creating a minimum size seat for people of all sizes.
Constantly updating information
Many of the stresses and concerns we face as plus-size travelers can be alleviated with clear and up-to-date information on websites. I often suggest travelers do their research, because planning ahead can offer us ease and convenience.
From a consumer point of view, it is helpful to be able to find easily available weight limits or accessibility information. Whether it's a surfing lesson, bungee jumping, scenic swing, hiking, or going in a hot air balloon, knowing the limitations gives us the tools we need to choose if it's right for us.
Create a space for advocacy
The reality of plus-size society is that we have spent most of our lives avoiding defending ourselves for fear of ridicule or judgment; Belittling ourselves and sacrificing our comfort to appease unrealistic societal norms. However, it feels like a shift has come and people are finding their voices to speak out for what they need. To have these needs honored and respected in a judgment-free space is empowerment.
I saw a really thoughtful example of this in my last post A daring journey through the Western Balkans. All members in my group fall into different navigation categories. My tour guide, Bashkim (absolute Angel) was always careful and would offer three options based on our physical ability. Each option was a slight tweak but none hindered our experience. Whether it was providing a different route to the hilltop castle, sitting outside an activity, or needing a rest, every concern was met with kindness and created a space to truly enjoy ourselves!
An enriching travel experience should not be reserved for a specific group of people. People of all sizes and abilities deserve to travel comfortably; The world is big enough for all of us and the travel community is full of outstanding individuals from different backgrounds. The real success lies in realizing the power of inclusion, the benefit of society, and building an industry that is more reflective of that. These actions can empower and embrace both future and experienced travelers.
If you are looking for some useful tips and tricks on plus size travel, check out my other articleCOMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT: 6 easy plus-sized travel hacks."
If you want to follow Chantel's adventures, you can check out her website, Vagabond tripor follow it Instagram.
Source link
0 Comments